Wild Storycraft Worksheet
Grade 8 ELA • Comparative Narrative Analysis
Wild Storycraft: Fiction vs. Nonfiction
Analyzing Narrative Techniques in Jack London's "Up the Slide" & Gary Paulsen's "A Glow in the Dark"
NAME:
DATE:
CLASS:
1
Narrative Lens: Point of View & Stated Purpose
Authors make deliberate choices about who tells the story and how much access readers have to internal thoughts versus outward actions.
Text A: "Up the Slide" Fiction
Author: Jack London (Klondike Gold Rush)
Point of View: Third-Person Limited (Clay Dilham)
Focuses on Clay's physical calculations, his determination to cut firewood, and the brutal mechanics of scaling a frozen clay cliff.
Text B: "A Glow in the Dark" Nonfiction (Memoir)
Author: Gary Paulsen (Woodsong)
Point of View: First-Person (Gary Paulsen)
Focuses on Paulsen's real-life sled dog run, his internal vulnerability, the dogs' behavioral cues, and confrontation with the unknown.
Prompt 1.1: How does point of view change how each story feels? Compare watching Clay's physical struggle from the outside (3rd person) with hearing Paulsen's own thoughts and fears directly (1st person).
2
Sensory Imagery & Atmosphere
Both writers place readers in harsh, sub-zero wilderness environments. Examine how imagery evokes sensory reactions and builds tension.
EXCERPT: "Up the Slide" Physical Peril
"The slope grew steeper... He was forced to proceed on hands and knees... A slip meant death. With his sheath-knife he chipped hand-holds and foot-holds in the frozen face of the wall."
Dominant senses: Tactile (hardness of frozen clay, aching grip), kinesthetic (balance, steep drop).
EXCERPT: "A Glow in the Dark" Atmospheric Eeriness
"It was cold, thirty below... a green glow, like a ghost fire, standing in the trees... the dogs would not move. Their hair came up on their shoulders and they began to whine."
Dominant senses: Visual (eerie spectral green light in darkness), auditory (canine whining, absolute silence).
Prompt 2.1: Compare how each author uses sensory details to immerse the reader. Cite one specific phrase from each excerpt and explain what physical sensation or psychological reaction it produces.
Unit: Craft of the Narrative • ELA Standard RL/RI.8.3, RL/RI.8.5 Page 1 of 2
Comparative Analysis • Part II
Pacing Architecture & Narrative Synthesis
Student Work Continuation
3
Pacing Strategies: Building and Releasing Suspense
Pacing is how fast or slow the narrative moves. Authors manipulate sentence structure, detail density, and character hesitation to alter time.
| Narrative Stage | "Up the Slide" (London / Fiction) | "A Glow in the Dark" (Paulsen / Nonfiction) |
|---|
| The Trigger / Threat | Clay chooses a risky shortcut up the steep slide to harvest dry spruce firewood. | Paulsen and his team encounter an eerie, unexplained green glow in the dead of winter night. |
| Pacing Technique (Slowing Time) | Step-by-step physical breakdown: London describes each knife chop, slipping pebble, and muscle cramp. | Internal deliberation and animal reaction: Paulsen observes dogs freezing, his imagination racing with monster/alien thoughts. |
| Climax & The Reveal | Physical climax: Clay reaches the crest through brute willpower and strategic carving, escaping a deadly fall. | Humorous / Anti-climactic reveal: The "phantom" is a rotting stump glowing with bioluminescent foxfire fungus. |
Prompt 3.1: Why did Paulsen choose to slow down the pacing before approaching the glowing stump? How would the narrative effect change if he immediately stated it was glowing wood?
4
Critical Synthesis: The Boundary of Truth & Fiction
A master fiction writer incorporates accurate realistic details to make an imaginary tale feel true. Conversely, a memoirist employs narrative fiction devices (foreshadowing, character archetypes, rising suspense) to tell a true story.
Synthesis Response Prompt: In an analytical paragraph, evaluate how both London and Paulsen create genuine suspense despite operating in different genres. In your response:
- Explain how London makes fictional survival feel technically authentic and dangerous.
- Explain how Paulsen uses dramatic narrative techniques to make a real-life observation read like a mystery.
- Argue which text generated higher stakes for you as a reader, and cite specific narrative evidence.
Self-Check: Analyzed Point of View Cited Sensory Evidence Compared Pacing Strategies Completed Synthesis Paragraph
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